Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-01-13

Alexander Ill, Gar OF all the Rus
slams. we are informed, has shown I'M
mistakable, symptoms of insanity. This
is rather Startling, coming as it does, so
close upon the incidents attending the
forced deposition of the late King of
Bavaria. King Ludwig, it will be re-
membered, was deranged for several
years., and completely wore out the pa
thence of his courtiers and officers by
his innumerable ccecntricities. But the
strangest feature of the case is that,
after his removal and suicide in Starn-
berg lake, the individual who fell heir
to his position is also deformed in mind.
Although Ludwig was bad enough, his
brother and successor, Otto l., is much
worse. Ludwig was not SO insane but
that he had frequent lucid intervals, but
Otto is apparently without reason at all
times. As an evidence of his cond ton,
we are informed that he is continually
under the restraint of appointed keep
ers, and is allowed to appear in public
only upon special occasions.
But lunacy in royal families is no
novelty, as all readers of history are
aware. Kings are just as liable to be-
come insane as are peasants, and dis
ease of the mind will faint the blue
blood of monarchs as readily as the
more sluggish stream that courses
through the veins of the serf in his how
ell In the royal family of Russia this
fact has been signally exemplified.
Alexander III. is not the first of his
race whose mind has become clouded
by hallucinations. Indeed, short re-
search will develop the fact that over
one-half of the present Cars predeces-
sors have been either lunatics or mon
sters, and in numerous cases, both.
Among the early Muscovite rulers
was Ivan the Cruel, who bore a prom
inent part in the history of Europe in
the sixteenth century. He did much
for his country in the advancement of
art and commerce, as well as for its ex-
tension by force of arms He it was
that concluded the advantageous treaty
with Queen Elizabeth, after the dis
covery by the English of the northeast
passage to Archangel. But at length
his mind fell into a morbid, suspicious
condition, and for quarter of GEN.
fury he was a misery to himself and a
terror to those surrounding him.
The least movement OF a
servant or courtier was, in
his distorted vision, an attempt upon his
life, and his suspicious were always re-
lieved by the death of the supposed Of
fender. At one time he labored under
the idea that the people of Novgorod
had entered into plot to deliver their
city and the surrounding country to the
King of Poland. AS a punishment for
this imaginary offense he issued ukase
that condemned to death sixty thousand
inhabitants of the unfortunate city.
From the advices received concerning
the condition of the present Gar one
would infer that in his suspicious he
somewhat resembles his remote ances
tor, Ivan the Cruel.
In the seventeenth century we fine
that the strain of mental deformity in
the family of the Cars had become sc
strong that, of the four sons of Alexis
only Peter, afterward called the Great
was of sound mind And even the hu.
mainly of the latter could not wholly
atone for his numerous acts of cruelty
He was unforgiving to such degrees
that he ordered the execution of his owl
son, Alexei, andpunished with implaca
BILE fury all who had been implicated il
the reasonable plots of the young
Prince. His life, too, it is stated, wa
brought to a miserable end by habitua
dissipation and excuses.
Catherine H., the last of the foul
rulers in the female line. while not al
lmhecile, was so weak-minded that sh'
gave up the entire control of the Rus
sian Government to her scheming favor
ite. Gregory Potemkin. Her son Paul
who assembled the throne in 1895, wa
always weak in intellect, and afte
re gning five wears became so deranget
that his subjects strangled him in orde
TO get rid of him. Alexander l., VIII,
was crowned after the assassination o
his father, was of such humane ant
benevolent disposition that he wa
STYLED 1.-THE Northern Telemague, but
according to Theirs, even in him wer
found traces of hereditary insanity
His brother Constantine was afterwar'
excluded from the throne on account o
a predisposition to insanity.
The cause of the tendency of the Gar
toward infirmity of mind is not readil.
discovered. Whether it is produced b
a sense of the dangers with which the,
are at all times encompassed throug
plots and intrigues, or whether it IS tn
result of unlimited authority, is uncer
tain. IL is a cur Gus fact, however
that the same faint may be found N tn